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Nicholas Roderick
Dr. Nicholas Roderick (AKA Agent Montauk) is a recent addition to the Abstero roster. A disgraced Master's candidate, his unorthodox views on psychology came to the attention of a Templar agent at his college. After proving his aptitude for interrogation and information retrieval (a practice he classifies under the umbrella of "therapy"), as well as mind control and brainwashing he was allowed to continue his studies at Abstergo Industries. He's often voiced his view of his fellow human beings as being little more than robots, and as a robot should be properly programmed so too should humans. Personality and Skills Nicholas has the calm, reassuring and polite demeanor of the archetypal psychotherapist or hypnotist. He is slow to anger, and when he does he prefers veiled threats concealed smiles to direct lashing out. His friendly mask slips primarily when he becomes engaged in his work, becoming austere and clinical. Being entirely willing to bend or break the will of his subjects, he has no compunction about using methods that verge on torture so long as they get results. The ability to manipulate those around him has been his shield throughout life. As such he has little in the way of physical combat skills. At the prompting of his superiors in the order he began practicing basic handgun use and accuracy and is competent, although not to the degree of some other agents. For this reason Nicholas has traveled little outside of the Abstero Industries building in Chicago. He's also been working on various espionage skills from pick pocketing, to discovering new stealth methods of delivering different psychotropic compounds to unwitting victims. Biography Nicholas Roderick grew up in a small rural community for most of his childhood. His mother raised him after his father left the family while Nicholas was still a young boy. School records show that Nicholas was often the subject of bullying by other children. He was suspended at the age of 13 when it was discovered that he had laced another boy's soda with a powerful laxative. In high school Nicholas excelled in science, in particular chemistry. Nicholas was almost expelled when evidence was uncovered that he may have been using school property to make crude pain medication which he then sold to other students. However, lack of students willing to talk and Nicholas' encryption of his own lab notes made it difficult to prove conclusively. He graduated with honors a semester early. While in college Nicholas' reputation as both a gifted student, and eclectic personality continued to grow. Word around campus was that Nicholas was manufacturing LSD and selling it to local pushers. After one year at college he switched his major from Chemistry to Neuropsychology. A classmate remembered him once saying "All we are is the product of advanced chemistry. The chemicals in our brain and blood make us who we are. Control the chemicals and control the person." He graduated with a BS and continued to work towards his doctorate. It was when presenting his Master's Thesis entitled "The Follies of the MK-Ultra Experiment" that Nicholas earned the ire of his professors and peers. His advisor had approved the topic on the understanding that it would deal with the shady ethics of the infamous CIA mind control experiment. Instead Nicholas proposed a different series of psychotropic drugs of his own design along with extensive periods of hypnosis, sensory deprivation and subliminal suggestion. His review board considered his proposal a gross breach of medical ethics and denied him his degree. Despondent, Nicholas didn't know where to turn, but within two days was approached by a representative of Abstergo Industries who said his ideas showed a great deal of promise. Nicholas was told in brief about the history of Abstergo with hints of its Templar relation. The representative informed Nicholas that it might require years of prep but he might be allowed to work with the company. However, Nicholas was impatient and took it upon himself to find someone connected to the shadowy organization known as the Assassins that the Templar representative mentioned in passing. After hiring his own private investigator to stake out a rumored Assassin hangout he learned of an individual who was clearly being targeted by the Assassins for recruitment. Hiring a couple of freelance thugs as his "orderlies" he abducted the recruit and conducted his own crude experiment, finally convincing his subject to give over information about an Assassin hide out. His initiative and results got him noticed by the higher ups who agreed to allow him a place in Abstergo Industries where he could complete his studies. He apprenticed under various Abstergo scientists for over three years. He has stated he considers this experience his "doctorate program" and as such has taken to referring to himself as Dr. Nicholas Roderick on all correspondence. Some Abstergo members have critiqued Nicholas’ use of his own compounds for seemingly “recreational” purposes. As this usage has not seemingly interfered with his work it’s been excused for the time being.